


we all suffer but we recover just to discover life where we all are

by felinedetached



Category: Black Panther (2018), Homestuck, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (i said she can see everything. i LIED), Civil War Team Iron Man, Genderfluid Loki (Marvel), Multi, ROSE CAN SEE EVERYTHING DO NOT FUCK WITH HER, and Jade, bc shes a CHILD, because shes sunshine embodied and she can fight for herself but SHE SHOULDNT HAVE TO, but rose isnt privvy to it soooo, i am full of salt, loki is done with everyones bullshit, peter shouldnt have to fight either, rose jade dave and john are all 17 at the start and 21 by the end, so is Rose, so nothing will happen with shuri theyre all just very protective of her, theyre a part of the #TonyStarkDefenseSquad, this is like. only canon-compliant for everything that occurs before the avengers, this was originally really fucking neutral and then i watched civil war again so, thor & loki have a convo about the fucked up shit he did
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2019-03-15 10:53:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13611855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/felinedetached/pseuds/felinedetached
Summary: Rose Lalonde steps through the door to the new world, and lands in the middle of New York City, 2012. But it's not her New York - why would it be, her New York isgone- instead, she's landed in the MCU, just weeks before the Chituari Invasion.





	we all suffer but we recover just to discover life where we all are

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [A Lullaby For Gods](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8868388) by [SociopathicArchangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SociopathicArchangel/pseuds/SociopathicArchangel). 



> _I fought all through the night_   
>  _Oh, oh, but I made it alive_   
>  _The sun's starting to rise_   
>  _Oh, oh, these are beautiful times_   
>  _This fight of my life is so hard, so hard, so hard_   
>  _But I'm gonna survive_   
>  _Oh, oh, these are beautiful times_
> 
> \- [Beautiful Times by Owl City](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfA-tPKPoNs)

There are things that you’ve learnt not to question, and being spat out onto strange worlds after walking through doorways in space is one of those things. This strange world, though, this one is different. Sburb’s gates had always led to worlds that couldn’t be compared to Earth in any way. There were worlds of rainbow rain and rainbow oceans, of vivid-bright lights that hurt your eyes to look at, and worlds of deep blues and blacks, sparsely ‘decorated’ with luminescent green crystals. But this world, oh this world struck too close to home.

You’ve found yourself in a city – streets full of bustling people, none of whom seem to mind that you have stepped from nowhere. It is a city very similar to the one you grew up near, except for an extra and easily noticed skyscraper gracing the horizon.

Your New York faced far  _more_  devastation than this one could even imagine, and it didn’t survive it. Neither did the Earth. But what’s done is done, and  _your_  Earth is long gone. This one is but salt in the wound, a poor substitute for that which was taken from you.

When you have gathered your wits, the first thing you do is look for your friends. It is irrational, as if you were left in New York it is likely Dave was sent to Huston, John to Washington, and Jade to her island in the pacific. If you could, you’d go to her instantly – but you’re a Seer of Light. Teleportation isn’t your forte. John could go to her though, probably, or she could go to him or Dave. You don’t think you’re anywhere near your home in Rainbow Falls though – it looks like you’re in the centre of the city. If Jade teleported to you, it is likely she would find nothing but the endless forest.

You can do nothing for your friends now. All you have left is looking out for yourself. First things first: housing. Shelter, an apartment. A job. You need money, and you need a place to stay whilst you earn enough to buy or rent a place of your own. There’s a single problem though – to get a job, you need ID, a presence in this world past just your face. That, you just don’t have. This is, after all, not  _your_  New York. Not  _your_  Earth. You weren’t born here, so there will be no record of your existence. That just won’t work; without it, you will have nothing to go on, no way to get work or  _anything_ , really.

So, the first thing on your agenda is  _really_  to find a way to get yourself an ID. A public library should work or-

_-The world is gold and grief and tinged with sadness tinged with betrayal and that relief that follows it is tinged with the same-_

_-The world is blue and dark and cold and you can feel yourself shutting down and you know you’ll never see her again and you’re so sorry, so sorry you’re gonna miss that dance you promised-_

_-The world is black and red and lit with fire and you’re falling and hoping, hoping,_ **_hoping_ ** _that they leave it open long enough for you to get through-_

_-The world is white, always white, the endless white and training and medication and “You can do better than this, you are a Black Widow and you will not be weak”-_

_-The world is blue and loyalty and nothing but loyalty loyalty loyalty_ **_loyalty_ ** _-_

_-The world is angry and grey and everywhere you turn they are coming for you, hunting you down, and there is nothing you can do but fight and run and roar-_

_-The world is black and blue and grey and white and there is nothing above you and nothing beneath you-_

And you gasp, eyes flying open, and you know where to go. Two blocks left, turn right and go three blocks that way, and an apartment building stands in front of you. It  _reeks_  of magic, wild and uncontrolled, yet so enclosed, protected,  _hidden_. Foregoing the door, you slip up to the apartment on the fourth floor, rapping on the closed window. Fortuitously, there is no one on the streets to ask you about your mysterious power. There is, however, someone inside to do so.

They don’t respond, however, so you force the window open and slip inside. When you enter the apartment, you are faced with a knife to your throat and vivid green eyes glaring at you.

“Who are you, and how did you know I was here?” Loki Sky-Walker asks you, voice dark and eyes cold.

“I am Rose Lalonde, and I am in need of your help,” you respond, careful not to move any closer. That knife is wickedly sharp, edges shining with vivid green magic, and any wrong move will send it through your throat. Given that you broke in, your death could be judged as Just, which you aren’t willing to risk. You aren’t willing to risk Sburb not having that sort of control over this world anyway, either.

“ _How did you find me?_ ” he asks again, and the aggression in his voice is tinged with panic. You can’t blame him, with what you Saw, but panic isn’t something you want to deal with right now. It makes him about ten times more likely to stab you, and as mentioned before, right now is not the time to test your immortality.

“I  _Saw_  you,” you respond, “where no one else could.”

“How?” he hisses again, and you just know he’s wondering. If  _you_  can see him, if  _you_  can find him, who else can?

“I am the Seer of Light,” you respond, “I am a Goddess from no known mythology. My powers were not something you could guard against, because you did not know they existed or how they worked.” He steps back, still guarded, but less likely to embed a knife in your chest. You make sure you keep your hands in view.

“What do you want?” he asks, still suspicious – understandably, of course.

“A presence in this world,” you reply, “a history. Papers. I know you can do that – your magic is far more suited to it than mine.”

“Magic is magic,” Loki replies, “although you may have more of an aptitude for magics related to Sight. You can do it, you just don’t know how.” You tilt your head, curiously.

“Would you teach me?”

“Perhaps,” Loki responds, essentially avoiding the question. “So – you ask for presence.”

“Yes,” you respond, perfectly willing to go along with it. If he doesn’t want to teach you what you can do, then so be it. You figured out what you know already by yourself, and figuring out the rest may be difficult, but you’re sure you can do it. “I’m sure you’re aware of what happens to people with no ID on Earth?”

“Of course,” his magic is already flowing in and towards him as he works his spell. “It will take a while to plant a full history in all databases.”

“Understandable,” you say, softly. “Thank you, Mr Sky-Walker.” He looks at you, surprised.

“You’ve done your research.”

“I enjoy mythology.”

Nothing much is said after that, a respectful silence giving the notorious trickster god the chance to do his work. Honestly, you’re not even really surprised he exists. You’re a god yourself, after all. Why wouldn’t there be other pantheons?

“It’s done,” Loki says, breaking you from your thoughts. A passport and driver's licence is dropped into your lap. “I pulled some things from your mind to make it as accurate as possible.”

“You can do that?” you ask, surprised. He never read minds in the myths.

“Not well. I only learned recently. You are surprisingly unguarded – even the mortals tend to have better mental guards than you,” He laughs, softly. It sounds like he’s unused to making that sound. “I’d offer to help, but I don’t think I’d be the best teacher.”

“On the contrary,” you reply, laughing with him, “I think you’d be a great teacher.”

“Are you mocking me?” he asks, voice sobering. From what you remember of the myths, and what you’ve seen of this man, he’s used to that.

“No,” you reply, “Thank you – for the offer. I’d take you up on it, but I get the feeling you wouldn’t want me hanging around your apartment every spare moment.”

He looks at you, glances at the documentation he dumped in your lap. When he looks back up, there’s something in his face.

“Stay with me,” he says. You start, looking at him incredulously. Loki Silvertongue is not the kind of person to offer housing to those in need – not without something in payment. “You’re smart – and you don’t have enough money to afford your own housing yet. Who would I be to leave my student out in the cold?”

“You’ll teach me?” you ask, shocked.

“Not if you keep asking questions like that.”

“Of course,” you laugh, “Loki Silvertongue never had much patience for fools, and he quite enjoyed trickery, but he was never cruel.” For that, he smiles at you. You don’t think he’s used to hearing people speak of him like that. From what you’ve seen, there are people he cares too much about and people he cares not enough about, but he was never as evil as the myths often painted him. Never as evil as his friends and idols painted him. In your childhood, you admired his tendency for mischief and ability to get things done, and you sympathized as his children were taken from him.

 _“If he hadn’t been locked up in the first place, he couldn’t have started Ragnarok!”_  You remember saying, insistent, to a mother who didn’t listen to your words.

 _“That’s nice, dear,_ ” You remember her saying, voice absent as she poured herself another glass of Vodka. This Loki, though, you sympathise – no, empathise with – even more so than the one from your myths. Some things crossover, but others? Others are different. This one has the same sort of issues as you, aimed at his dad, and, to a lesser extent, his brother.

He is not as good, however – he has issues, and he has done things you do not like, but he is still Loki Silvertongue and maybe you can help him.

“Thank you,” you add, hesitant and hoping that this is the right move, “It is an honour to be taught by you.”

“It is more so to have the chance to teach,” he responds and goes to add you to his lease.

 

* * *

 

It’s two weeks after you arrived in New York that the first attack occurs. Creatures fly through the air and swarm the streets, and there are  _people_  down there, living and dying, sad and scared and in pain. You  _See_  the horrors that these creatures bring, and you  _See_  the horrors they will bring if they are not stopped.

But Loki, unexpectedly, stops you. Not physically, but there is something about her demeanor – she will fight with you if you choose to leave, you know this, but something will happen to her.

Something that she dreads with all her being.

So you don’t.

If she later looks at you, relief plain on her face and thanks in her eyes, you don’t mention it.

 

* * *

 

Weeks after the attack, on one of the rare occasions that you are home alone and Loki is out, there is a knock on your door. As you’ve been specifically looking for things pertaining to Loki’s brother and your friends, this is something you foresaw, and it is with eagerness that you rip open the door and fall into Jade’s arms.

“Rose!” she yelps, catching you, and pulling you into a hug. Jade’s always been warm, but now she’s taller, and her tail flicks excitedly behind her as she hugs you. “It’s so good to see you!”

“You too,” you return, reluctantly pulling away, “come in!” Jade does, and you close the door behind her. Thinking back, you probably should have warned Loki a friend would be coming – he may, after all, walk through the door and see Jade as a threat.

“This is nice,” Jade says, looking around, “I’d expect more purple from you, Rose.” She giggles as she says this, and you laugh with her. It’s good to see her again.

“Let me just tell my roommate you’re here, so that he doesn’t walk through the door and decide murder is the best course of action.”

“You have a roommate?” she asks, turning back to look at you.

“Yeah,” you reply distractedly, pulling out your phone. It’s cheap, and honestly pretty terrible, but it works until you can afford something better.

**[YOU] – 1:43 PM**

_I have a friend over. Please don’t murder her when you come home._

**[LOKI] – 1:44 PM**

_No promises._

**[YOU] – 1:44 PM**

_Loki, please._

**[LOKI] – 1:44 PM**

_Relax, Rose. I won’t kill your friend._

**[LOKI] – 1:44 PM**

_Probably._

“What’s he like?” Jade asks, running her hand along the back of the couch before flopping down on it. She looks exhausted, like she’s been teleporting all over the world.

“Tea?” you ask her, heading to the small kitchenette before you get an answer, because she’s exhausted and you already know she wants a drink.

“Water, please,” Jade responds, “but you didn’t answer my question. You don’t intend to – not properly. He’ll think you asked her to treat him nicely unless she manages to convince him she likes him under her own volition, and the best way to do that is to not tell her much about him at all.

So, “He’s teaching me magic,” you say, instead of actually answering. Jade lights up at that, practically leaping from the couch as she moves to stand next to you in the kitchen. You push a glass of water into your hands, and she takes it absently, too focused on the magic to really think of much else.

“Really?” she starts, and the way her tail and ears are twitching, you know she’s gearing up to say more, “He’s teaching you magic? You can do things outside what your classpect allows?”

“Yeah!” you say, and now you’re getting into this. You always enjoyed explaining things. “Okay, so, he put it to me like this: magic is magic. You can either use it or you can’t, but if you can use it you can do anything with it. There will be some things you’re better at, and some things you’re not as good at, but you just need to learn  _how_.”

Jade stares at you for a bit while she processes, and you realise you probably said too much too fast, but before you can reiterate what you said she starts.

“Oh!” she exclaims, eyes lighting up, “That makes sense. Magic is an energy, and if you have the ability to manipulate it you can manipulate it in any way you want, right?”

“Basically,” you reply, smiling at her. Jade was always amazingly smart, but watching lines of green text talk about nuclear physics is  _completely_ different from watching her eyes light up as she figures out how magic works within seconds of having it explained to her. She laughs, bright and loud, teeth flashing white against her skin as she smiles at you.

“This  is amazing! I never thought we could do any more than what Sburb gave us, but when you think about it, it’s so  _obvious_ ,” she starts, the cogs in her brain visibly turning. “We know nothing about magic, why would we think we’ve learnt everything we could?”

“We were idiots,” you reply, and she laughs.

“Yes, in retrospect, we really were.”

This is, of course, when Loki gets back.

“I’m hoooommmeeeee,” he sings, green cape flowing dramatically behind him as he sweeps through the door, “Where’s this visitor of ours?”

Laughing, you call to him from the kitchenette, dragging Jade with you as you head towards the door.

“Jade, meet Loki. Loki, Jade.” They observe each other silently, dark green eyes meeting bright, almost neon ones. Jade seems to see something she likes, and she extends her hand to shake Loki’s. He’s hesitant – he always will be, you think, with the trust issues he’s accumulated over the centuries – but does take her hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Loki!” Jade chirps, excitable as ever.

“You too,” Loki responds, although you can sense his hesitation. It makes you feel that tiniest bit bad for what you’re going to ask him next.

“She has nowhere to stay,” you tell him, carefully, “can she stay with us?”

“Rose,” he turns to you, voice and expression weary.

“I’ll be no trouble, promise! Once I get a job, I’ll even help pay rent!” Jade chips in, turning her puppy-dog eyes on your unsuspecting roommate. He takes one look at them and sighs, muttering  _something_  under his breath, before announcing.

“Rose, you’re paying her portion of the rent as well as your own until she gets a job.” You laugh, agreeing to the demand without hesitation. Jade squeals, pulling you into a hug and moving to hug Loki too. He jumps out of  her way, and sweeps into his room. Before he shuts the door, you call after him.

“Since she’s here, can you teach her too?” Your only response is his door clicking behind him, but you know he will if she turns up.

“Was that a no?” Jade asks, downtrodden.

“Not at all,” you reply, pulling her into your room. “We only have two rooms at the moment, so you’ll have to stay with me…”

 

* * *

 

When the next attack happens, you’re at work. Jade’s at home, you know, and she’ll want to help. You can’t let her – not yet. There are too many unknowns, from what Loki’s so scared of to what the government will think of an omnipotent dog-girl with teleportation and telekinesis.

**[YOU] – 4:13 PM**

_Jade. Please don’t go and help._

**[JADE] – 4:13 PM**

_but rose there are people out there!_

**[JADE] – 4:13 PM**

_I cant just leave them! I have to help somehow!_

**[YOU] – 4:14 PM**

_They have defenders. A team of superheroes, known as the Avengers. They formed a few weeks ago._

**[YOU] – 4:15 PM**

_Besides, Loki is scared of something out there. Please just stay home._

**[JADE] – 4:15 PM**

_okay fine_

**[JADE] – 4:16 PM**

_but may the record state im not happy about it >:( _

**[YOU] – 4:16 PM**

_Noted._

When your boss finally lets you out – an attack, apparently, isn’t a good enough reason to let a waitress go home – you rush back to your apartment as fast as you can. When you arrive, finally, you arrive to the building in tatters, Jade and Loki standing outside.

“Oh,  _fuck_ ,” you hiss, under your breath, moving up to stand next to them. “What happened?”

“Exploding robot catapulted through the window,” Jade says, “I teleported outside as it blew up.”

“Are you okay?” you turn to her, suddenly terrified.  _You_  told her to stay home,  _you_  were the reason she was in the apartment when it blew up.

“She’s fine,” Loki interrupts, forcing her way into the conversation, “but we need a new apartment.”

“Preferably one with three rooms,” Jade says, “I wouldn’t want to impose on Rose any longer. Hey, in lighter news, I got a job today!”

“Job hunting is over then, it seems,” Loki turns to look across the street, and down the adjacent road, “and the apartment hunting begins.”

 

* * *

 

Your new apartment is found within the next few weeks, and when you finally move into it from the motel you’d been staying at beforehand, the first thing you do is set up wards. Loki does the most work – she is, after all, the most knowledgeable at this kind of magic, and therefore the most likely to not fuck up the runes. Jade works on expanding the interior, because you’re all extravagant people and you all enjoy your space. However, with these two as your roommates, you can’t say you wouldn’t be opposed to being in a confined space with them. Like a closet.

Anyway, your job is less important – furnishing. Sadly, it means you won’t get to watch them work, but it does mean you get full control over how the apartment looks when it’s done. So far, you’re planning elegant and airy, light. Something that will fit all of you – Loki’s flair for the dramatic, Jade’s love of nature and the open air and your own obsession with the occult. Balancing this will, of course, be difficult, as things related to the occult tend to be dark and grounded, as do things with a more dramatic flair. You’ll deal though – you can always resort to skulls if you have to. No one in the house would be adverse to that – Jade did, after all, have the stuffed body of her dreamself in her house, and Loki… Well, Loki is a Norse God. You think she’s well equipped to handle anything you could throw at her.

Yes, you think you could work with this.

 

* * *

 

You come back to basic furnishings and an apartment far bigger than it seems from the outside. Laughter echoes from somewhere within – the kitchen, you think? It’s good, an indication that your roommates are finally getting along.

Or, more accurately, an indication that Jade has finally won Loki’s trust.

You’re not sure whether to be proud or jealous, but you’re leaning towards proud.

 

* * *

 

Your mind burns, flashes of the distant future and the wrong past ringing and twisting through you like ribbons of pain and fire and information.  You see lives and deaths and relationships, and you know that these are all that were and could have been, if they were the alpha timeline. You see Sburb’s collapse, and you hope that everyone you know got out in time, because you can see many, _many,_ other versions of you and them that did not.

You think, perhaps, that you are screaming, but you’re not sure because while your mouth is open no noise enters your ears. No noise but the sounds of the past that is somehow both yours and not. There is nothing but pain, pain and the purple of your own magic writhing and sparking as it shows you far more than you think you were ever supposed to see.

And then there is green, dark as a forest and lit with strings of gold, flowing like a river, calm and gentle. It settles around your mind and it whispers,  _Rose, it is okay, you are safe now._  It whispers  _stay with me, darling, its okay you’re okay_  and you finally find it within yourself to shut down the never-ending stream of imagination.

Distantly, voices discuss you.

_“Will this happen to me, too? I played the game as well.”_

_“It might, but I believe you will gain your memories - lives, even - in dreams, one by one.”_

_“Rose didn’t?”_

_“No. She gained all of hers at once.”_

_“Will she be okay?”_

_“Okay, yes. The question most pressing is if she will be the same Rose when she wakes up.”_

 

* * *

 

Looking back, there are an endless number of Roses who chose differently to you. Who went Grimdark at various different times, or never did, or never came back from it. There are Roses who never played Sburb, and Roses who lived with other versions of Rose in the same universe. There are versions of Rose who met Loki, just as you did, and versions of Rose who went other places, places with time-travelling doctors in long coats, places with a skeleton and a girl that fight crime and solve mysteries and wield magic and save the world.

You remember many close relationships - with Loki, with Dirk, with Jade, with Kanaya, with Vriska and with many others. You find that some of your memories are more pressing, more… real, seemingly, than others are.

And somehow, amongst all the confusion, the Alpha timeline, the Rose that you  _are_ , is tinged green and gold, telling you amongst witches and murderesses and thieves who  _you_  are. It’s Loki’s magic, their seiðr, tingling through your mind and preserving your sense of self amongst the memories flooding your brain.

God, you love them.

 

* * *

 

Waking is like coming from a dream, instead of from memories. It’s… floaty. Sitting up, you absently note the deep green bedcover, the books lining the walls and the desk in the corner. Loki’s room.

You woke up in Loki’s room. In Loki’s bed.

_Gods help you, you’re crushing on them._

That thought, though, is one you  _really_  don’t want to dwell on, so instead you attempt to get up. Keyword being attempt. When you try, there is the niggling feeling of a knife repeatedly driving itself through your skull, which, as one would imagine, is far from pleasant. Lying back down soothes the pain slightly, but not entirely, and when the door slams open you wince. Jade is standing there, Loki close behind, and as she practically  _runs_  into the room, she calls your name.

You flinch, automatically, and partially in reaction to the noise and partially at their appearance. They are haggard, worn. Visibly worried.  _You have seen them like that before as two battleships stood in the deep black sky, visible around the earth. A voice - blonde hair beautiful eyes, the woman who caught the eye of a god - filled with horror whispers “these are not our stars” and the world alights with screams._  Gasping, you clutch at your head. Jade steps forward, reaching out, but Loki holds her back.

“There are memories, in her head. Memories she shouldn’t have, because she is not that Rose. We reminded her of something.”

“The world was on fire,” you say, lips numb, “We had to face both of them.”

“Both of who?” Loki presses you. In an instant, you realise that he knows as well as you do that this future could be your own - there is no guarantee that this timeline does not face the same as one of the others.

“A man with purple skin - she called him Thanos, I believe. And the Batterwitch,” you look up at Jade, who comes to sit on the bed next to you. “But she’s dead, isn’t she? We killed her.” Loki grimaces.

“I have been ‘dead’ a few times and am, in fact, ‘dead’ now. I do so hope you succeeded, but we must prepare as if you did not.” Jade grabs your hand in her own, and her eyes are determined when she looks at you.

“I’ll find Dave and John - together we killed her once before. We can kill her again.”

You offer a smile, but know that it is weak. Loki sits on the other side of your bed, grasping your other hand.

“We’ll need the Avengers,” Loki decides, although you spot a fleeting grimace mar his face at the idea. He’s always been afraid of the Avengers - afraid of his brother, perhaps. The idea of fighting with them? It’s. Odd, that it came from Loki.

“I can contact them,” you offer, aiming to spare him the task. He shoots you a thankful look. Jade, meanwhile, is practically vibrating with energy; excited at the chance to see John and Dave again, you presume. Not that you aren’t, of course.

You laugh as her magic sparks around her, obviously excited to start teleporting and searching.

“Go on, then,” you nudge, and she grabs you into a hug, waves at Loki, and vanishes.

 

* * *

 

Walking into the lobby of the Avengers Tower is almost surreal; it’s far more technologically advanced than anything you’d had back on your earth. In fact, it rivals the tech seen in Sburb. Tony Stark has created a tower to rival sentient tech from an alien video game, which in itself is admirable - but he keeps advancing, at an amazing rate. Entering the tower is, as a result, almost like entering Sburb again.

“Excuse me,” you say to the woman at the desk, “I’m here to see the Avengers?”

“Do you have an appointment?” she responds, not looking up from her work. You smile, letting a hint of your power - a deep purple mist - seep into the air.

“No, but I think they’ll want to see me. I have information on the Battle of New York.” The secretary looks up at this, sees your magic, and picks up the phone.

The elevators open.

“Mr Stark will see you now,” the secretary says, and you cringe internally because Fifty Shades of Grey has ruined that sequence of words for you forever. You shoot her a smile and turn to the elevator. Her slightly pinched expression follows you as the doors shut and the elevator begins to rise.

The doors open to a room of people - you see Tony Stark in the corner, Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff and Clint Barton on the couch, Bruce Banner in an armchair over by Stark and Thor in another. It feels like you’re walking into a firing squad, the way they look at you, and you almost think you understand Loki’s fear.

“Who are you?” Rogers asks, aggression colouring his tone. He’s defensive, protective - he doesn’t yet trust you.

“A friend of a friend,” you tell them, and shoot a look at Thor, “Or a sibling, in some cases.” Loki will have to face their brother at some point, and watching as said brother perks up like a labrador that's just found its long lost owner, you think perhaps you can… run interference, so to speak.

“Loki?” Thor asks, and he’s so  _eager_ , really so much like a puppy, that you almost want to pet him. “He’s alive?”

“Of course,” you reply, and you’d be offended on Loki’s behalf, but Loki had intended to die when they fell.

“Take me to him,” Thor demands, and this is what you had been afraid of.

“No,” you respond, and when Thor opens his mouth to complain, you hold up your hand and whisper one of the many spells you’ve learnt over the past few months. He tries (and fails) to speak, and the Avengers are instantly in uproar. Multiple weapons are aimed at you - or, well, two guns and a bow. Stark isn’t wearing his suit and the others are all far more likely to threaten you with fists.

“What did you do to him!” Barton yells, bowstring pulled back, “Undo it, now!”

“Oh, relax, it’s just a silencing spell,” you wander further into the room, looking around. It is, unsurprisingly, even cooler up here. Everything is state-of-the-art; as you’d expect for the place  _Tony Stark_  lives. “It was Amora and the Chitauri that attacked New York, yes?”

Thor nods vigorously, and the others do nothing but glare. Well, other than Stark, who’s on his phone and seems to be ignoring the conversation. You know better, however, he’s paying  _very_  close attention. He pays close attention to everything, from what you’ve Seen.

When no one else seems to want to answer your question, you sigh and wave your hand, undoing the spell on Thor.

“Is he well?” he asks instantly, and you soften. He really does care for Loki, even an idiot could see that.

“He’s fine. Doing better. Less nightmares now,” you offer up with a smile. He returns it and sits again, seemingly satisfied now that he knows Loki is well.

“Thank you for the news,” he says, “To answer your question - yes, Amora came with the Chitauri army.”

“Led by anyone other than Amora?”

“No.”

“Ah,” you say, and laugh a little. “That’s where you’re wrong. There  _was_  another leader, and I think you know him, Thor.” His expression shifts, confusion plain as day on his face. “Or, the stories of him, more likely.”

“I know many stories of many powerful beings,” Thor tells you, “I couldn’t hope to guess which one you are speaking of.”

“Thanos,” you say, and watch Thor’s face contort with horror, “The mad titan.”

 

* * *

 

**[YOU] - 3:45 PM**

_You were right. They’re all idiots._

**[LOKI] - 3:46 PM**

_You’ve made contact, then?_

**[YOU] - 3:46 PM**

_Of course, what do you take me for?_

**[YOU] - 3:47 PM**

_I had a plethora of weapons aimed at me, was threatened with bodily harm, cast a spell on your brother and had to suffer through explaining who, exactly, The Mad Titan is._

**[YOU] - 3:47 PM**

_I haven’t even reached the bit about the Condesce yet._

**[LOKI] - 3:47 PM**

_Well, you’d better get to the explaining then._

**[YOU] - 3:48 PM**

_Loki!_

**[LOKI] - 3:48 PM**

_What?_

**[YOU] - 3:48 PM**

_You’re rude._

**[LOKI] - 3:48 PM**

_:3_

**[YOU] - 3:49 PM**

_Don’t you cat-face at me._

“Is that Loki?” Thor asks, coming up at your shoulder. He’s been like this for the past hour or so - constantly asking about his brother. You think it’s endearing, whereas Loki, on the other hand, finds it irritating.

“Yes,” you reply, because really, with these people honesty is the best policy. They’re twitchy - trigger happy, almost - and you’re not a fan of being riddled with bullets no matter how unlikely it is to kill you. Lying wouldn’t be a good idea. “Mr Stark - I’ve noticed you haven’t said much. No thoughts on the incoming alien invasion?”

“Not many, no.” Stark stands, heads for the kitchen. He brushes past you in the process, and you miss his next few words under the swell of information that came with it. You back away – physical contact has never triggered your Sight before, and his  _history_ , Jesus. You want to protect him.

“Lady Rose?” Thor asks, staring at you, and you realize that you  _may_  have stepped away a bit faster and further than normal. “Are you okay?” Everyone’s watching either you (like you’re insane) or Tony (with this expression of anger and disappointment and why would they be angry, they don’t even  _like_  you) except for Tony, who’s ignoring everything and everyone with a single-minded determination. You  _know_  he noticed, and you  _know_  he sees the glares, and you think that perhaps he’s used to them.

It would make sense, with the flashes of  _fear-anger-pain-betrayal-isolation_  that had accompanied his memories (especially Afghanistan, Afghanistan was  _horrendous_  and you hadn’t realized just how bad – he’d been  _awake_ , for fuck’s sake, why isn’t he getting help?) and his past interactions with the team. Honestly, you don’t know why he’s hosting them in his tower if they treat him that badly.

“I’m fine,” you explain absently, still watching Tony, “Don’t worry about it. It’s just a part of my power – physical contact, no matter how small, sometimes causes visions.”

“I see!” Thor booms, and does this man have any volume control? You’re beginning to see why Loki finds him so irritating.

“Do you? Really?” you mutter, before turning towards Ton- Stark (when had he become Tony? You barely know the guy, why do you feel so  _protective_  over him?) and raising your voice to more audible levels, “Don’t worry, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was all me, sorry.”

He doesn’t believe you, none of them really do, but it really is  _your_  power that caused this – not Stark’s touch. If anyone is to blame it is you.

“I have to talk to Loki – there are things you will face and you will need his help for it, no matter how little either side likes it.”

“Why would I not wish to see my brother again?” Thor asks, and  _gods_  he’s so  _clueless_.

“It isn’t you who doesn’t wish to see him,” you say, with an imperceptible glance at the rest of the team – they faced Amora, they do not trust magic, and as a result, they do not trust you nor your teacher. It is a miracle that they even trust Thor.

And this is when,  _of course_ , a flash of vivid-green light blinds the room, and Jade’s voice rings out – the same tone as an excited puppy’s bark – clear and bright throughout the room.

“I found them!” she yelps, throwing herself into you, “Rose, they did land!”

“Woah,” you laugh, catching her, sending a glare over her shoulder at those who had (understandably this time, Jesus Christ, Jade, you can’t keep doing this) pulled their weapons from their holsters and aimed them at her back. “Where are they?”

“Dave landed in Houston, and John in Washington, but I mean we expected that didn’t we?” Jade rambles, looking up at you, “I mean, you landed in New York and I landed on my island so why wouldn’t they land where they came from?”

“No, Jade,” you laugh again, because she’s adorable and excited but not answering you, “I mean where are they  _now_?”

“Oh, of course. I left them with Loki – she said it’s okay, so I introduced them and came to find you – come on!”

“Jade,” you start, but she’s grabbed you and vanished and oh, they’re not going to like that. You’ll have to ask for another audience later. For now, though – for now, your name is being called by voices you haven’t heard in forever, and Loki is laughing and you’re on the floor now, pinned under Jade and John and Dave.

It feels like home.

 

* * *

 

It is the next day that you head back to the tower, this time with three people by your side (Loki still stays home, they’re still not sure they want to see Thor, or the rest of the Avengers. You’d told him about Tony, and your wish to protect him, and they had only laughed –  _“You will be a most impressive Valkyrie when the time comes”_  – and offered nothing else) and this time the secretary lets you through  _without_  a line likely to traumatize your friends. Thank god for small miracles, you suppose.

“Hello, Ms Lalonde,” the elevator says, and John jumps beside you, looking up. “I see you’ve brought friends.”

“Hello, JARVIS,” you respond, proving you’ve done just as much research – AI’s aren’t the only beings with an internet access, after all. “I’m presuming you know Jade, but this is John and Dave.” John waves.

“Ms Harley, yes?” JARVIS says, and Jade gives the camera in the corner a cheery wave.

“Hi!” she chirps, like a  _bird_  – how does she make these noises with her mouth, what the fuck.

“Hey,” Dave says, speaking for the first time since you’ve reached the tower – which is surprising, for him, “You’re not going to turn into Hal and try and murder us or something, are you?” You hit him, softly, as John laughs. JARVIS seems amused, though, his voice tinged with humour when he next speaks.

“No, I am not, Mr Strider. Sir is in his workshop, and Mr Odinsson is in the kitchen. Who would you like to see?”

“Thor, please - thanks, JARVIS,” you say, and the elevator slides smoothly upwards in response.

“You are most welcome, Ms Lalonde,” he replies.

“Hey, JARV,” Dave pipes up again, “Call me Dave. Mr Strider was my Bro.”

“Was he really?” you ask, and Dave shakes his head mutely, winking at you from behind his shades.

“Of course, Dave,” the AI says.

The doors ding and slide open, revealing the living room you’d been in yesterday when Jade stole you away. Romanoff sits on the couch, and when you enter she looks over at you distrustfully. Ignoring her, you motion everyone towards the kitchen, and file in together like an absurdly short conga train.

“My friends!” Thor announces, spinning in place to face you. He sweeps his arms out as if he’s either addressing a large audience or going to attempt to hug all four of you at once. If you’re honest, you wouldn’t be surprised if he did.

“Thor,” Jade greets, voice neutral, “nice to finally meet you.”

“It is good to meet those who are looking after my brother!”

“Sibling,” Jade corrects, and you sit back to watch her work.

“I’m sorry?” Thor asks, and he genuinely doesn’t understand – this isn’t malicious misgendering, it’s more innocent.

“Loki currently identifies as neither male or female,” Jade explains, and she’s noticed it too. “They’re currently using they/them pronouns, and it would be nice if you used those to refer to them as well.”

“Oh,” Thor says, and goes quiet. That’s okay, you’ll wait for him to figure it out. Discreetly, you offer your hand to Jade, and she taps it in a silent high-five. Dave smirks at you. You glare at him. Things are getting awkward would Thor just hurry up with his thinking already? “Okay,” he says finally.

“Good,” you interrupt, “now, can we get to talking about how we’re going to deal with Thanos and the Batterwitch?”

“Batterbitch,” John mutters, and Dave laughs quietly behind you. There’s an oof, and you’re pretty sure Jade elbowed one of them in the stomach but you’re not sure which one.

“Of course!” Thor practically yells, and you can _feel_ Jade’s pain. “To war planning!” He marches off down the corridor to what looks like a conference room, and sighing, you trail after him.

 

* * *

 

“Why do I want to protect him?” you ask Loki later, curled up on the couch with your feet tucked under her thigh.

“Maybe it’s a maternal thing,” she offers, “your magic saw someone in pain and kick started whatever maternal instincts you have.”

“He’s thirty years older than me!”

“So?”

 

* * *

 

Jade is the one to call Tony Stark when he announces his address on live television, the one to try and go to his aid. She is put out of commission for a while, but with Loki’s healing abilities (whilst not strong – they tended to focus on offensive magic in their studies) she is back on her feet in no time.

She is the one to comfort him when Pepper Potts leaves him, and she is the one to ask Loki to heal Happy Hogan.

She comes to you, when the whole debacle is over, and says, “I get what you mean now.”

“What?” you ask, laying your head on her shoulder.

“I feel like I have to protect him, for some reason. Like he’s important.”

“Or maybe,” you murmur, “like he’s suffered too much.”

“Or that,” Jade agrees, without hesitation. Tony Stark is only human, after all, and he cannot be expected to do miraculous things.

 

* * *

 

There is a hint of malicious red magic surrounding Tony Stark the next time you see him.

“Hold still,” you say, marching right up to him and placing your hand on his forehead. You pull out the string, carefully – it was terribly placed; whoever did this was completely untrained, acting quickly and on instinct. He stares at you like you’re insane, but you ignore it, and take the magic to Loki at the next possible convenience.

He hunts down whoever placed it, and you’re not entirely sure you want to know what he did to the caster.

 

* * *

 

When the Washington Accords are announced, two months after the disastrous fall of S.H.I.E.L.D, you watch Tony Stark as he fights to correct them. When they are presented as fully complete, three years later, you watch as King T’Chaka of Wakanda dies, watch as Steve Rogers kills a task-force to save his friend, and fight for Tony Stark in a battle against those he had considered his friends.

(You never considered them his friends – they were terrible people, acting like they were owed his generosity without offering anything in return.)

(You’re also kind of ashamed at Tony – you gave him a dressing-down as soon as you realized that the small spider-kid was only sixteen. You were fighting at sixteen, and you don’t want anyone else to have to.)

(He tells you Peter was fighting when he found him, that he just wanted to protect him. You tell him that he shouldn’t have brought Peter to Germany. He agrees.)

 

* * *

 

When Tony Stark goes to Siberia, it is you and Loki who pull him out of his destroyed suit, who see the damage caused by a vibrainium shield. T’Challa is nearby, you can sense this, but he has his hands full so you don’t bother him. Together you take Stark back to the United States, back to the compound, where doctors are on standby, and you aid in his healing.

“He’ll be fine,” Jade whispers, her arms around your waist.

“I know,” you reply, pulling her tight against you. Dave rests a hand on your shoulder, silently nearby, and then goes to find Loki.

 

* * *

 

John comes to Stark after he recovers, says “I think I can help your friend walk again,” and is instantly let into the lab. Jade complains, but John just laughs at her – points out that his wind powers are probably more useful.

“Actually,” Dave says, “with a better knowledge of anatomy and shit I could probably just reverse time on the specific vertebrae and heal him.”

You and John both stare in disbelief, and Jade goes to find a book on anatomy.

Tony isn’t impressed with the idea, but lets Dave try anyway.

Three days later, Colonel James Rhodes is walking again.

 

* * *

 

The Wakandan outreach program is amazing – as is Wakanda’s tech. If you thought _Tony’s_ tech was like Sburb’s; that _Tony’s_ tech was the best around, you were sorely wrong.

“I call these sneakers,” Shuri says, giggling as she shows you shoes that don’t make a sound. Dave falls in love instantly, (as does Peter, the poor darling. She sees him as cute, almost, but she’ll probably fall for his classmate MJ before she does him) but you hit him over the head, ask Shuri to show you and Jade around, and try desperately to keep up. You’re in over your head with this tech stuff – you’ll have to ask for a teacher, later – but Jade’s in her element, learning all she can from the best person around to learn from.

“I think I love her,” Jade admits later, lying sprawled over you and Loki in bed, “platonically, I mean. Her brain is _amazing_.” Loki just laughs, free and kind.

“I’m sure it is,” he says, and kisses her cheek. She laughs as well, rolls over onto you, and you let out a huff of air at the weight over your abdomen.

(She hits your shoulder for that, a soft slap and your name whined in irritation, and you laugh too because everything will be okay.)

 

* * *

 

Shuri starts dating MJ. Peter is heartbroken, so you take him to the gym and do a little hand-to-hand combat training to keep his mind off it.

(Jade slips you a twenty as she walks past, and you smirk at her irritation.)

 

* * *

 

The battle comes, as it was always going to, but you do not face it alone. You face it with an army, you face it with friends, you face it with family, and you know that this time, perhaps, you will win.

This time, even with Thanos and his army on her side, the Batterwitch will not take the Earth from you.

This time, humanity rises up as one, instead of divided with her already at its heart.

When Her Imperial Condescension descends on her warship, she descends to a crowd of beings who are entirely ready to throw down.

She will not take the Earth a second time, and she is foolish for presuming that she could.

**Author's Note:**

> Come yell at me on tumblr [@faeflowerfeline](https://faeflowerfeline.tumblr.com/)


End file.
